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UV purified water meets agency demands

Edited by the Manufacturingtalk editorial team Jan 20, 2004

UV disinfection technology is helping leading pharmaceutical manufacturer Eli Lilly and Co meet the strict requirements of UK Medicines Control Agency and US Food and Drug Administration.

Ultraviolet (UV) disinfection technology from Hanovia is helping leading pharmaceutical manufacturer Eli Lilly and Company Limited meet the strict requirements of both the U.K.

Medicines Control Agency and the U.S.

Food and Drug Administration.

Purified water of the highest standard is required in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals and UV treatment is an integral part of this process at the company's Basingstoke plant.

UV works by penetrating the cell walls of microorganisms and destroying their DNA.

It has a kill rate greater than 99.99% and is effective against all microorganisms including bacteria, viruses, fungi and their spores.

Raw water intake from the towns water supply is filtered and fed into a break tank.

Before entering the primary circulation loop, it is fed through twin bed deionisers, twin resin polishers and twin UV treatment chambers, ensuring all the water in the system is regularly irradiated and disinfected.

The purified water from the primary loop is fed into a storage tank, which is fitted with a UV air treatment unit.

The tank supplies the purified water ring main (secondary loop) which is also fitted with a UV treatment chamber, providing purified water to all points-of-use.

The UV disinfection systems in operation at Lilly ensure the cfu (colony forming units) count throughout the plant is zero for E.

coli and Pseudomonas species and consistently below 100cfu/ml for all other microorganisms.

All the UV units are fitted with meters which display hours run, while the water treatment units also display percentage UV intensity levels.

The systems are interfaced with the process control unit and are designed to stop the supply pumps and trip out the deioniser beds if UV levels fall below a certain predetermined level.

All UV systems can be designed for continuous running and the only regular maintenance required is replacement of the UV-emitting arc-tube every 12 months.

This is a simple operation that can be carried out by on-site maintenance staff.

As the world leader in UV technology, Hanovia can provide tailor-made solutions for virtually any disinfection need and has a comprehensive support service.